Connectivity is a term that feels all warm and fuzzy to many people. Being closer and working together these are both good things. But is it all it is really cracked up to be? Students these days have more and more opportunities to connect with others even when they are in an online environment or outside of the school day. Teenagers today are more connected than ever before. It is rare to see a teenager, or adult for that matter, without their phone and checking it regularly. Discussions in education are arising about whether this connectivity is a leaning theory as Siemens (2005) states or is it like Verhagen (2006) tells us in his document arguing the connectivity theory, just another way of storing information like we have always done in books?
A learning theory explains what learning is and how it happens. It looks at how we view knowledge, our motivations to learn, and the implications for teaching. There are three main learning theories: behaviorism, cognitive constructivism, and social constructivism that have been established and analyzed through many studies for many, many years. Connectivism is important to change our way of teaching by using the technology as a tool just like we use books to inform us of knowledge. Social constructivism highlight the collaborative nature of learning. Many areas of Connectivism is collaborative in nature through technology and social networks. In the technological age today, when we read an article that we do not quite understand, we can check out the comments online to gain more information. We learn the context of the information read. The same thing happens in real-time in a book club discussion. The only difference is technology is used in the first example. The learning happens in the same way - through our social construct.
Connectivism & Teaching Practices
People still learn in the same way, though they continue to adapt with the ever evolving technology. The way networks and communities are created through new technologies is encouraging young people to develop new, creative, and different forms of communication and knowledge outside of formal education. Learners who have been immersed in technology since they were born are more likely to use the latest technologies. There is a need for educators to closely follow and influence the developments as well as the debates, and seriously research how their schools can evolve using up-to-date technologies to their students' advantage. In return, they would help education to secure its role of analytical engager, and make the best use of technology by making connections and sharing knowledge of others all over the world to compliment students and their lives. If strictly using connectivism in teaching, "learners might miss out on a layer of critical engagement as their choice of mentor could confirm rather than challenge views and opinions." (Kop 2008) Educators can utilize connectivism as a tool for connecting and communicating using technology. Students become the center to learning instead of the teacher. The teacher takes on more of the role of facilitator. The teacher has the role to make sure information that is shared is accurate and help students analyze it a similar fashion. Outside the classroom, the online comments the general public makes in social media is not always factual and accurate. Students will need to learn how to combat that in our connected online world. As Sahin (2012) states, "Connectivism has a major role in 'learning to learn' as they can learn more effectively and become learners for life."
Supporting Students With Connectivism????
Connectivism focuses on complex learning, rapid changing cores, and diverse knowledge sources for students to navigate through. This can be seen a negative light when it comes to how we can meet our students ever-changing needs. "Connectivism is mainly concerned with cognitive development, and as such, does not concentrate on explaining how connections to networks may be interpreted in relation to physical maturation or the changes that occur over time via a person’s exposure to, and interaction, with the social world. This is particularly the case where explaining behavioral performance and moral development in specific contexts is concerned (Kop 2008)."
In order to support students with connectivism, students need to have the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts at a core skill. This can be a difficult task to ask of all students in your learning environment. Educators know that ALL students learn differently. One set style of creating networks may not work for all students in your classroom environment. If students are not set up with a proper foundation to see the connections, they may struggle in the future with transferring previously learning information into new concepts. Another drawback to supporting students with connectivism is the rapid rate in which information is changing. Current up-to-date information can change day to day thus changing students outcomes and understanding of the information they are trying to relate to.
Connectivism Theory ... relevant or just confusing?
For Connectivism to make any sense as a learning theory, there must be learning beyond connections - something important about the developing behaviors of the networks themselves. While students might learn something as a result of a connection that they make online is that connection actually teaching? When we learn from a book is the book doing the teaching? And there is always the question of how relevant and trustworthy the connections themselves may actually be. In his blog John Dron says, "...brains do something pretty cool that the spread of memes, the movements of pedestrians on sidewalks, the formation of ecosystems, the flocking of birds, the nest building of termites and social connections between people do not: they think." The brain is what we use to collect and sort information no matter where we may find it whether that be through a connection or a book. It can be very confusing and yes it may be relevant, but it is not a learning theory. Just another tool that our brains use to collect and store data and information. M.C. Wade also supports this in his blog. He says, "...it is possible to show that connectivism is not a proper learning theory but, rather, an account of how (i.e., the modes) learning occurs in a digital and networked global environment." (Wade, 2012) Again the idea that connectivism is a tool we use to gain knowledge, not a theory of learning.
Summary
Connectivism is not a learning theory but a form of education pedagogy. Students learn the same way, just with technology than just books, newspapers, magazines, and talking to others face-to-face. Educators need to facilitate learning through guided discussions and show how students should analyze and fact check what they read and communicate in the technology & social networks. Students need to have the ability to see connections and concepts at a core skill. All students learn differently and it is the educators job to educate all students based on their needs, learning styles, etc.
Connectivity is a term that feels all warm and fuzzy to many people. Being closer and working together these are both good things. But is it all it is really cracked up to be? Students these days have more and more opportunities to connect with others even when they are in an online environment or outside of the school day. Teenagers today are more connected than ever before. It is rare to see a teenager, or adult for that matter, without their phone and checking it regularly. Discussions in education are arising about whether this connectivity is a leaning theory as Siemens (2005) states or is it like Verhagen (2006) tells us in his document arguing the connectivity theory, just another way of storing information like we have always done in books?
A learning theory explains what learning is and how it happens. It looks at how we view knowledge, our motivations to learn, and the implications for teaching. There are three main learning theories: behaviorism, cognitive constructivism, and social constructivism that have been established and analyzed through many studies for many, many years. Connectivism is important to change our way of teaching by using the technology as a tool just like we use books to inform us of knowledge. Social constructivism highlight the collaborative nature of learning. Many areas of Connectivism is collaborative in nature through technology and social networks. In the technological age today, when we read an article that we do not quite understand, we can check out the comments online to gain more information. We learn the context of the information read. The same thing happens in real-time in a book club discussion. The only difference is technology is used in the first example. The learning happens in the same way - through our social construct.
Connectivism & Teaching Practices
People still learn in the same way, though they continue to adapt with the ever evolving technology. The way networks and communities are created through new technologies is encouraging young people to develop new, creative, and different forms of communication and knowledge outside of formal education. Learners who have been immersed in technology since they were born are more likely to use the latest technologies. There is a need for educators to closely follow and influence the developments as well as the debates, and seriously research how their schools can evolve using up-to-date technologies to their students' advantage. In return, they would help education to secure its role of analytical engager, and make the best use of technology by making connections and sharing knowledge of others all over the world to compliment students and their lives.If strictly using connectivism in teaching, "learners might miss out on a layer of critical engagement as their choice of mentor could confirm rather than challenge views and opinions." (Kop 2008) Educators can utilize connectivism as a tool for connecting and communicating using technology. Students become the center to learning instead of the teacher. The teacher takes on more of the role of facilitator. The teacher has the role to make sure information that is shared is accurate and help students analyze it a similar fashion. Outside the classroom, the online comments the general public makes in social media is not always factual and accurate. Students will need to learn how to combat that in our connected online world. As Sahin (2012) states, "Connectivism has a major role in 'learning to learn' as they can learn more effectively and become learners for life."
Supporting Students With Connectivism????
Connectivism focuses on complex learning, rapid changing cores, and diverse knowledge sources for students to navigate through. This can be seen a negative light when it comes to how we can meet our students ever-changing needs. "Connectivism is mainly concerned with cognitive development, and as such, does not concentrate on explaining how connections to networks may be interpreted in relation to physical maturation or the changes that occur over time via a person’s exposure to, and interaction, with the social world. This is particularly the case where explaining behavioral performance and moral development in specific contexts is concerned (Kop 2008)."
In order to support students with connectivism, students need to have the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts at a core skill. This can be a difficult task to ask of all students in your learning environment. Educators know that ALL students learn differently. One set style of creating networks may not work for all students in your classroom environment. If students are not set up with a proper foundation to see the connections, they may struggle in the future with transferring previously learning information into new concepts. Another drawback to supporting students with connectivism is the rapid rate in which information is changing. Current up-to-date information can change day to day thus changing students outcomes and understanding of the information they are trying to relate to.Connectivism Theory ... relevant or just confusing?
For Connectivism to make any sense as a learning theory, there must be learning beyond connections - something important about the developing behaviors of the networks themselves. While students might learn something as a result of a connection that they make online is that connection actually teaching? When we learn from a book is the book doing the teaching? And there is always the question of how relevant and trustworthy the connections themselves may actually be. In his blog John Dron says, "...brains do something pretty cool that the spread of memes, the movements of pedestrians on sidewalks, the formation of ecosystems, the flocking of birds, the nest building of termites and social connections between people do not: they think." The brain is what we use to collect and sort information no matter where we may find it whether that be through a connection or a book. It can be very confusing and yes it may be relevant, but it is not a learning theory. Just another tool that our brains use to collect and store data and information. M.C. Wade also supports this in his blog. He says, "...it is possible to show that connectivism is not a proper learning theory but, rather, an account of how (i.e., the modes) learning occurs in a digital and networked global environment." (Wade, 2012) Again the idea that connectivism is a tool we use to gain knowledge, not a theory of learning.
Summary
Connectivism is not a learning theory but a form of education pedagogy. Students learn the same way, just with technology than just books, newspapers, magazines, and talking to others face-to-face. Educators need to facilitate learning through guided discussions and show how students should analyze and fact check what they read and communicate in the technology & social networks. Students need to have the ability to see connections and concepts at a core skill. All students learn differently and it is the educators job to educate all students based on their needs, learning styles, etc.
Sources:
Dron, J. (2014, April 28). The Landing: Connectivism: a learning theory or a theory of how to learn? Retrieved November 07, 2017, from https://landing.athabascau.ca/blog/view/606735/connectivism-a-learning-theory-or-a-theory-of-how-to-learn
Kop, R., & Hill, A. (2008, October). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? Retrieved November 7, 2017, from
http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/523/1103
Overview of Learning Theories. (n.d.). Retrieved November 07, 2017, from http://gsi.berkeley.edu/gsi-guide-contents/learning-theory-research/learning-overview/
ŞAHİN, M. (2012). PROS AND CONS OF CONNECTIVISM AS A LEARNING THEORY. International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences , 2(4), 437-454. Retrieved November 7, 2017, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298729434_PROS_AND_CONS_OF_CONNECTIVISM_AS_A_LEARNING_THEORY.
Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism:A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved November 07, 2017, from http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_05/article01.htm
Verhagen, B. (2006, November 11). Elearning. Connectivism: A new learning theory?. Retrieved November 7, 2017. from http://elearning.surf.nl/e-learning/english/3793
Wade, M. (2012, May 29). Cybergogue. Cybergogue: A Critique of Connectivism as a Learning Theory. Retrieved November 11, 2017, from http://cybergogue.blogspot.com/2012/05/critique-of-connectivism-as-learning.html